New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-10
WATER GROWING SCAROER.
TRYING TO CHECK WASTE IN THE CITY

HOW CHARGES ARE IMPosED-soNE NEW LAWS
ON THE SUBJECT.
The Public Works Department Is busily
gagged in the work OF putting water meters In storss
workshops aud other laces where water is furnished
Tor business consumption. The law does not AUTHOR.
ze meters to be placed in private houses. Bat If pr
vate consumer wants extra supply Of water he cau
arrange to get 1t by taking it through meter. In
that event he is allowed to increase the size vt the
pipe connecting with the street main A number of
private consumers have consented to pay foi their
water by meter measurement in order 10 get an in
ereased supply.
At the present time there Is, 500 meters in
in the CITY, rhe number was increased nearly 1000
last year. These have had marked effect in check
ing waste; but still the water supply Is wholly naae
quate to meet the pubic dem and and 1t is likely to
be two years before will be coming through tho
squeduct. The amount OF water received
through the old aqueduct and the Bronx River
duit amounts to Ito, 100000 gallons daily Last
summer the excess of consumption over the amount
received through the coniuits reduced the depth Of
in the city reservoirs twenty-four inches This
excess OF consumption promises to be repeated this
year according to the experience OF the last few days
aud ia gely due to waste This takes place alike in
the very cold weather the winter and the very hot
weather in summer. To check this waste meters are
being put in as rapidly possible; but there are
many barrooms and places of that kind In the city,
where water is kept running nearly all the time that
have not yet been meerei Political and other niu-
these places exempted from the use OF meters bat
present Commissioner of Public Works these
influences said nos TO be effective ~ under
Squire and Thompson. The diminished pressure in
the mains in parts OF the city, owing To the short
supply and waste, almost totally deprves many fami.
lies Of water and with the of pumps the
cessary qua nifty tor domestic aud sanitary purposes
can be secured only with great difficulty
Some of the city officials OF tire opinion that II
it not for the waste there would be plenty OF
Io.lxv .,..s.
water in this city Is about 20 gallons. tbs
ABOUT the same in Philadelphia. Brooklyn and Boston
but in Providence, K. l., where meters in general
use, 1t is only 80 gallons per capita In some other
cities, the per capita consumption Is as follows: BGf
falo, 127 gallons; Detroit, 1852 Washington, 1865;
Rochester, 81; Worcester 81; Fall River, 2f;
Dayton, Ohio, SO; Atlanta, Ga, 81. The cities hav.
ing the most meters In use have the smallest daily
consumption There ara nearly 10000 taps the
mains in this city OF which only 16 per cent are
metered. IT the remainder metersd the officials
claim that the waste would be stopped the cost of
water would be less to than it is aud
there would be plenty Of II. Al ordinary faucet will
discharge 10000 gallons of water daily II allowed
10 run i've nights water ia that time passes
through 1t than Is charged for years The rate
per 900 gallons tor water taken through meter
13 % cents In Boston it Is 20 cents Phiiadelr hia
& cents; Brooklyn 10 1-3 f; Bufao cents Provi-
dence Is to 30 cents; Albany, D to 40 cents San
Francisco, % IL to 46 cents. The charge in New
York is about the average throughout the country.
But at that rate it amounts to large for many
consumers, and artesian wells have multiplied all
ovar the oty. The water derived from them brack
ish however, and cannot be used tor drinking pur
poses
Unlike gas only one water meter ia used for build.
ing. The charge is q lien against the property the
same as taxes. Owners of buildings. fat houses,
etc., have to pay the water rates and charge it In
their rents The city maintains bureau for the col
lection of water and another tor the collection
of tayes Ixaat the G ~ ef 1lSl
from rates. The largest paid for water by
firm corporation came from the Manhattan
Railway Company, operating the elevated roads. 1t
paid 10000 last year. Some OF the other large
sums paid were follows: